Public confronts Spring Grove official for Islam comments

After being harassed by a Spring Grove school board member for posting a sign supporting Muslims, the Rev. Christopher Rodkey addressed the issue in his church service sermon.
Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

A local pastor said the official harrassed him for posting a sign that wished Muslim neighbors a 'blessed Ramadan'

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Matthew Jansen is a member of the Spring Grove School Board and an elected delegate to the Republican National Convention, supporting Donald Trump.(Photo: Jeff Lautenberger, For The York Daily Record)Buy Photo

A Spring Grove school board member's online comments about the Islamic faith polarized the community this week, drawing several protesters and at least one supporter to the board's public meeting Monday.

More than 30 people attended the meeting, several of whom brought their own signs to convey their feelings about board member Matthew Jansen's comments posted to Twitter last week.

Jansen, who is an elected delegate to the Republican National Convention, left a message on the Rev. Christopher Rodkey's voicemail last weekend that he was shocked to see a sign wishing Muslim neighbors "a blessed Ramadan" in front of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Dallastown.

In the message, he called Islam "godless" and called the sign "despicable."

"It is unbelievable that ... you would wish them a blessed Ramadan," Jansen said in the message he left for Rodkey last week. He also said he would post a picture on social media so everyone could see it. His post included the church's phone number.

"Jesus died for hardline islamist just like he did me," the tweet states. "I do apologize for venting to the church. I was out of line."

Before beginning the meeting Monday, board members distanced themselves from Jansen's comments in a public statement.

"The views or comments expressed on Mr. Jansen’s Twitter account are solely those of Mr. Jansen in his privacy capacity and do not in any way reflect the views and beliefs of the Spring Grove Area School District," Superintendent Robert Lombardo read from a prepared statement at the beginning of the meeting. "The district has not approved, endorsed or otherwise embraced any of Mr. Jansen’s private views."

Before beginning public comment, Jansen addressed the room with an apology.

"I know that what I did was wrong," he said. "It was a knee-jerk reaction that really muddied the district and it was something that certainly wasn’t backed by anyone in the district. It was a reaction of mine. Within minutes it was over. Tweets were sent."

Spring Grove taxpayer Susan Korsnick was the first to speak during public comment. The Lancaster-area teacher urged for Jansen's resignation or removal.

Jansen, an elected delegate to the Republican National Convention who supports Donald Trump, also tweeted comments about the sign.(Photo: Submitted)

"I can tolerate differences of opinion and I can even tolerate mistakes and apologies by school board members, but I cannot tolerate a clear lack of judgement and display of hatred and intolerance from someone who is supposed to represent our school district," Korsnick said. "What he did is, at best, irresponsible and, at worst, hate-mongering and intimidation. I do not trust this man to manage our tax dollars and use them appropriately and, more importantly, I do not under any circumstance trust him to make the best decisions for our children."

The district solicitor Leigh Dalton, of Stock and Leader, Inc., clarified that under Pennsylvania State Law, the board did not have the authority to remove Jansen or discipline him.

Following the meeting, Jansen stated he would need time to think about the calls for his resignation. When pressed what he meant, he said he does not intend to resign.

The school board member said he grew up riding his bike in the church's parking lot. When he saw the Ramadan sign, it struck a nerve with him as a Christian, he said, adding that he has disagrees with the pastor about church doctrine.

Still, Jansen did have at least one supporter in the audience Monday. Spring Grove resident Joss King stood outside the entrance of the building where the meeting was held, displaying a sign in support of Jansen.

King felt people were being "too sensitive" about the voicemail and tweets, he said.

"I felt the sign was in poor taste," King said of the church's sign. He did not feel that Jansen's comments were in any way hate speech, he said.

Jansen and King shook hands following the meeting.

"I'm very outspoken and a big believer in justice," Jansen said to King. "I just kind of stepped in it a little."

York Daily Record reporter Teresa Boeckel contributed to this article.